Friday Happy Hour: Juxtaposing War & Fashion

What have you done to help grow your photography business in 2013 so far? There are some excellent workshops coming up this spring and summer, so check out the details for travel and nature, wedding, and documentary photographers interested in boosting their skills this year. We also came across several intriguing photo stories – see more below.

Juxtaposing War & Fashion

At first, the acts of photographing war and fashion appear to be vastly different. But when the right photos are placed next to each other, certain similarities arise. CNN reporter Moni Basu laid out photos by Magnum photographers of fire in Gaza and runways in Paris, protests in Cairo and behind stage in New York, and the results were astonishing. Here are a few examples – check out the rest in her piece, War & Fashion.

The Northeastern Storm on Intagram

Instagrammers who tagged their images with #NYTstorm feel into a single feed last weekend when one of the biggest blizzards of all time hit the Northeast, dumping New York and the surrounding area with nearly a foot of snow. Here are a few favorites – see all the Time‘s selection here.

Photo by @mellamosuzyq

Photo by @imponderabilia

Photo by @pandrew81

Photo by @seedebbie

Photo by @nancyborowick

Iceland Photography Workshop, June 2013

Travel photographers Ken Kaminesky and Colby Brown are leading another outstanding workshop in June, this time in Iceland. The 8-day tour (June 7-14, 2013) will take participants from the beautiful capital city of Reykjavík to the volcanic Snæfellsjökull National Park in West Iceland, to the glacier lagoon of Jökulsárlón and much much more. What’s more, you’ll witness what’s called the “Midnight Sun” where you’ll have hours of amazing light so shoot every day. Learn more and register here.

Lake Tahoe wedding photographers fellowship 2013

Wedding photographer Bret Cole is offering a fantastic workshop opportunity in Lake Tahoe, California for those looking to improve their craft and business. This intimate workshop is limited to 10 participants and will take place May 3-5. You’ll stay at the beautiful Cedar Lodge and attend four styled photo shoots, a private portfolio review by Don Weinstein of Pro Impact Imaging, as well as class time with Bret Cole, event planner/designer Scott Coridan, photographer Alexandra Tremaine, and more. See more details and register by March 2nd here.

White House News Photographers Association announces contest winners

The White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) announced the winners of its Eyes of History 2013 contest this week. Photographer of the year went to Patrick Smith, freelancer for Getty Images/The Baltimore Sun. Political photo of the year went to Brooks Kraft, freelance for TIME magazine. See all the winners here.

Photo by Brooks Kraft/TIME magazine

Documenting with personal vision, with Gerd Ludwig

Renowned documentary photographer Gerd Ludwig is hosting a 5-day photography workshop in Los Angeles, April 18-22, for photographers and serious amateurs who want to take their photography to the next level. The workshop is designed to help you develop a personal eye, with concentration on aesthetic, technical, and logistical aspects of photography. Learn more and register here.

Photos by Gerd Ludwig

Living dangerously in the North Caucasus, by Rob Hornstra

Photographer and PhotoShelter member Rob Hornstra, and writer Arnold van Bruggen have been working on The Sochi Project since 2009, which chronicles the conflict in Caucasus (the mountain region considered to be the natural boundary between Europe and Asia). Rob and Arnold have documented this area and its people, who have suffered violence for decades as Islamist rebels struggle for independence from Russia. Their work was recently featured on CNN Photos, and they just published a new book. Here are a few images from the series.

Photo by Rob Hornstra/After two devastating wars, Grozny, Chechnya, has been completely rebuilt with the help of billion-dollar subsidies from Russia.

Photo by Rob Hornstra/Refugee children who were born in the former hotel where they still live.

Photo by Rob Hornstra/A museum keeps photos of people missing since the East Prigorodny conflict in 1992.

Photo by Rob Hornstra/Her husband was sentenced to 15 years in prison for helping terrorists under duress.

Photo by Rob Hornstra/Dagestan remains a hotbed of the ongoing conflict.